Thursday, March 13

How to Make Easter Pizza Chena (Pizza "Gaina")

Next week, Italian women everywhere will be knee deep in eggs, butter, sugar, and ricotta cheese -- it's time for making Easter pies. Easter, as with most holidays for Italians, is a time for culinary celebration.

Both sweet and savory pies are a hallmark of an Italian Easter. Last year I shared the story of my grandmother's famous Italian Easter ricotta pie with pineapple that solidified her place as the best ricotta pie baker in the family. Then, last Sunday, I shared my personal favorite: sweet Easter rice pie. I'd feel remiss if I didn't share the granddaddy of all Easter pies: Pizza Chena.

Every year my grandmother made countless delicious Easter pies. And every year starting several weeks before Easter, anyone who even remotely knew her would start visiting or calling her. Their motive: to butter her up enough to get a piece of her Pizza Chena.

Nan, as my mother would say, "was dumb as a fox;" she knew when people were only after her Pizza Chena, and she wasn't going to give it to just anybody. That's because it was time-intensive and expensive to make. Of course, her mailman always got a piece because he would tell Nan that of all the Italian women in the neighborhood her Pizza Chena was the best. (Not too subtle, but it worked every time.)

(layering the Pizza Chena)

Since Nan moved into an Alzheimer's unit several years ago, we haven't hadPizza Chena. It's one of a few dishes that my mom lost the desire to make after Nan wasn't able to cook anymore. So my mom was both delighted and nostalgic when I called her for the recipe.

Pizza Chena, a Neapolitan dialect term meaning “full pie,” is a colossal two-crusted savory pie stuffed with various Italian meats, cheeses, and eggs. All of that savory “fullness” is encased in either a flaky pastry crust or, as my family made, a satisfyingly chewy pizza dough crust.

(trimming the dough)

Pizza chena, is often mispronounced by Italian-Americans (including my family) as “Pizza Gaina.” We always joked that when you eat it you "gain-a" a lot of weight.

There are many regional differences in making Pizza Chena; my grandmother made hers with hot sausage, fresh basket cheese, mozzarella, and hard boiled eggs, preferences passed down from her Campanian mother-in-law. Thank goodness her mother-in-law, known as "Big Nana," liked my grandmother so much. If she didn't, then my family might never have enjoyed so many of these scrumptious Easter dishes.

(pinching the dough)

When Jeff called my dad to tell him how delicious my Pizza Chena was last week, he asked if we had eaten it all. "All of it? Dad, there's enough 'Pizza Gaina' for 12 people!" Jeff said.

My dad replied, "You know, 'Pizza Gaina' freezes really well. You could just slice the rest of the pie and freeze the individual pieces. Then you could take out a couple when company comes." (Not too subtle, but it works every time.)

I wanted to surprise him, but what the heck. Don't worry, Dad, there are a couple of thick wedges of Pizza Chena in the freezer with your name on them.

(adding the egg wash)

I'm sending this special recipe to a special blogger friend, Alanna of A Veggie Venture, who is hosting Pi Day, in honor of pi, the mathematical constant of 3.14 and a trillion more digits. Just the thought of pi brings back nightmares of high school geometry, but I persevered because I couldn't pass up sharing this amazing recipe with you.

I just realized that my friend Chris from Melecotte is guest hosting this month's Apple and Thyme event (created by the ladies of Vanielje Kitchen and The Passionate Palate), so I had to submit this story to her. Chris also writes lovingly about her family, so check out her blog if you're not familiar with it.

Here's how to make traditional Italian Pizza Chena (for Easter or any time of the year):

In a large bowl, dissolve in 2 cups of warm water, yeast, sugar, and salt.

Using a spoon, gently blend. Add 5 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to start.Blend with a spoon just until the dough starts to form, then using your hands, transfer to a floured surface.

Knead well, adding flour if it’s too sticky, until the dough becomes springy and smooth.It should take a good 5-10 minutes of vigorous kneading.It will be soft and silky when done.

Place the dough ball in a large, clean bowl coated with olive oil and rub some olive oil on top of the dough. Cover with a clean, dry dishtowel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size (at least 2 hours). (For more tips on making fail-proof pizza dough, click here.)

Meanwhile, fill a large, heavy-bottom saucepan halfway with water. Bring to a light, rolling boil, and place four room temperature eggs in the water. Maintaining a light, rolling boil, cook them for 18-20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs, place in a colander, and run under cool water. Tap the eggs against the counter top to crack the shells; remove the shells, and rinse the boiled eggs under cool water. Slice thinly and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the sausage from its casing and add to the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Place oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush the inside surface of a 10 X 3 spring form pan with olive oil.

Once the dough is risen, punch it down to release air bubbles. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, divide in half, and roll one half into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch spring form pan. Using your hands, fit the dough snugly in the pan, gently stretching it to hang 1 inch over the edge of the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 8 eggs, parsley, and black pepper.

Fill the inside of the dough with alternating layers of sliced meats, cheeses, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. After 5-6 layers, pour half of the egg mixture over the filling allowing it to seep down. Continue layering the meats and cheeses, then pour the remainder of the the egg mixture evenly over the top. You should have enough for 10-12 layers.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the second half of the dough to a 12-inch round. Place the dough over the filling, and using a sharp knife, trim excess dough until it just meets the rim of the pan.

Using your fingertips, pinch the edges of the dough together, and gently roll the bottom layer over the top layer creating a seal. Then pinch the dough between your thumb and index finger creating a slightly fluted edge all around. Brush the top of pie with the egg wash.

Bake pie for 60- 75 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 20-25 minutes. Release the spring and transfer the pie to a serving plate. Cut into wedges and enjoy at room temperature.

Leftover pizza chena can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Individual slices can also be wrapped tightly in tinfoil and placed in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to two months.

***Fresh basket cheese is a semi-soft cheese that is used primarily for binding ingredients together. It can be found at Italian markets and cheese shops. If you can't find it, then substitute one (15-ounce) container of ricotta cheese (drained) and whisk it with 2 large eggs.

You might also like these savory Italian calzones, pizzas, and sandwiches:

I so love that this is the recipe for Pi Day, since if memory serves, it was another Nan recipe over which we first 'met' (before we really met!), what, a year ago now? Carrying on her/your family tradition is perfect: it's okay, Mom, to skip a generation when now the pizza chena torch is carried by your lovely daughter.

Wow! This sounds delicious. And your pie is so beautiful! I love the family history and the storytelling. Food is truly a golden thread that connects us to the past and the future. Thank you for sharing your story!

Dear Lord! Your Pizza Chena is INCREDIBLE. I have never heard of or seen this dish but it just got on top of my all-time favorite bookmarks. Now I'm furious because my oven decided to quit on me just now!

I love your stories and your family traditions! We made this similar, but we use a cheese called Tuma, I can only get it at my Italian markets here only around Easter time, and it too, is a binder of everything. Between the meat, cheese, eggs, and dough, when its all done it weighs about 20lbs!!lol But theres nothing like it! Great post!

Susan, that looks fantastic! This is so funny, because I'm in the middle of making mine right now! It is quite a bit different from yours, but all Grandmas have their own way of doing things. I just sat down to check the old Google reader while its bakes. Great minds do think alike!

This looks stunning - and beautiful that your Grandmother made it and now you're taking up the tradition . . . and it is EXACTLY what I'm looking for! Earlier this week I fancied a sandwich I'd had when I was 15 in Italy at a trattoria that had hard boiled egg in it - I couldn't remember the rest, but it was amazing. I thought about trying to make some sort of frittata/ quiche something based upon that sandwich for pi day and just couldn't get it together so instead made another favorite (see my blog). What are the chances that you basically made the exact pie that was in my head? I love it. I'm going to have to make it. THANK YOU!!!

Susan it must've been so gr8 to learn such fantastic delicacy's from your gran. I never really got to hang out with mine , and nor did i learn much frm my mom, got married at an early age n now i live far away. Its so good to learn from our elders the traditional family recipes and pass them forward. U are truly fortunate to learn this stuff. It looks gorgeous.I never even heard of it before.U food is Italian but yet so different from the commercial stuff.

This is so beautiful~ I just can't believe all of the amazing pies I'm getting to stroll across thanks to Alanna.Thanks so much for the background, it really makes this dish even more beautiful. I'm literally dying to try this now. I think I just found my Easter brunch item! ;-)

This looks delicious! I made a similar pizza a while back and haven't made it in far too long - it's so easy to forget about a yummy recipe when there are so many options to choose from. I think your post may have inspired me to add a pizza pie to my menu for next week! Thanks for the mouth watering reminder. :)

OH MY GOD Susan, does this ever look good. When I make it, and I definitely will, my husband will think he has died and gone to heaven. And I very much like your father's idea of freezing pieces to eat in the future. Thank you SO much for the wonderful recipe and the even better story about your Nan.

This is my kind of pie! It looks wonderful, my husband would be in heaven if I made one! Good to know it freezes well. That way I don't have to invite the whole neighborhood when I decided to make one:)

Wowee! I was looking at the first photo, and trying to understand the pizza connection, and then I saw the filling!!! That is one beautiful, towering "pie!" I remember making something while traveling in Italy that used a springform and the dough was sealed around the filling. I'm now going to dig it out!

Great entry for pi day. I love these many-layered savory pie dishes - I had loads of knock-off versions at pizza places when I lived in Italy but I'm sure they don't compare. I might try to convince the family that this is what we should all do together over easter weekend...

Susan, I'm at work (at the library) right now so I can't print out your recipe. As soon as I get home, I plan to do just that. This is something I plan to make -- very soon!!! I really love these stories of yours and I do hope (that's the writer in me) you're also keeping a hard copy collection of all your blogs posts.

Isn't it the best? My mom still makes it and is sooo good. Funny how it each dialect has a variation of the name. We always called it Pizza Chena or Pitta Chena. I've never hear of Gaina and it should be "Piena"... anyway you say it though, it's delish!

My dad makes this every year on Palm Sunday and we have hard-boiled eggs and pizza gain on Easter Sunday for lunch. When I moved away from Chicago, he tried to mail some to me a few times so I wouldn't miss out.

His Easter Pizza has cubes of meats and cheeses suspended in a ricotta and mozzarella mixture. It resembles more of a calzone and is made on a baking sheet.

Coincidentally, in my family tree I have a Susan Russo (Palmisano) and a Big Gram or Big Nan on the same side of the family. Maybe we're cousins!

Beautiful! My Nonna (who was from a little town called Vastogirardi, in Molise province) used to make something very similar to this - but with a pie crust and criss-cross pastry top. She pronounced it "shadone" in her dialect, but I've also seen it written "fiadone". She lived to be 100, so it never did her any harm!

I've been waiting for months and months and months to try this out and, as luck would have it, Easter ended up being the perfect time!

Worked out deliciously, although "Gee, the ricotta looks solid enough that we don't need to strain it" didn't work out as well as we'd hoped. The filling was super wet and the top puffed up an extra inch. Remind me to have cheesecloth handy for next time.

Wow, I found this recipe in a Google search and was so happy about it - I remember doing a similar search a few years ago and finding NOTHING about pizza gaina! My family has been making this for years and I've never heard ANYONE else talk about it. Thank you!

I posted the recipe and linked you back in a review that I wrote - hope you don't mind!! It's here:http://lunch.com/t/mw6

Actually, italian easter pie aka pizza rustic is very common with italians especially during the easter holiday. It isn't a common italian american tradition as much as an old world tradition I think. I grew up with it and continue the tradition. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

My Nonna also called her wonderful ricotta pies "shadone"/"fiadone" and her husband was from Molise as well. I have a great recipe if you would like to try making your own. Do you have any further info about the term "shadone?" I am interested because so many southern Italians use a different term for their ricotta pies than that used by the northerners.

I'll be making this recipe tomorrow. I already bought slightly different meat though . . . I hope it will come out okay. I have sweet and hot soprasetta, sweet and hot calabrese, ham, and prosciutto. I own a meat slicer, so I'll slice the various meats thin like in the photo. I think this recipe looks so much better than recipes that have cubed meat.

Grew up with Pizza Chena made by my Nana from Calabrea. Rarely if ever have seen it in Deli's restaurants or even talked about by other Italians. Awesome to see someone else remembers it the way I do. Our family recipe differs slightly (we use provolone instead of mozzarella, and dice the meats in small cubes rather than slicing them) but the essence is the same. Thank you for posting